A Comparative Study of China and U.S.: The Influence of Digital Divide on Education Inequality and Its Mitigating Policies

Jiayi Shi

doi:10.54254/2753-7048/64/20240937

Research Article

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Published on 27 August 2024

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Shi,J. (2024). A Comparative Study of China and U.S.: The Influence of Digital Divide on Education Inequality and Its Mitigating Policies. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,64,9-20.

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A Comparative Study of China and U.S.: The Influence of Digital Divide on Education Inequality and Its Mitigating Policies

Jiayi Shi *^,1,

¹ Wellesley College

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7048/64/20240937

Abstract

Under the digital age, the method of learning expanded to the virtual setting. With resources shared through online platforms, digital divide became a new problem in achieving education equality. This paper intends to examine the effect of digital divide on educational system in the U.S. and China from a comparative perspective. This study adopts literature review as its research method. Types of digital divide that occurs in the two countries showcase some similarities, yet the factors attributing to the educational digital divide varies widely. Educational divide exists in different social groups. Systematic and cultural differences are the root behind these factors. In the U.S., digital divide occurred due to differences at multiple levels: race, state, schools, and family SES. In China, digital divide occurs due to geological divergence, generational division, and social class. The root Moreover, mitigating policies from the two countries illustrate how the U.S. and China access the issue from different perspective. The root behind such contrast is the difference in the two countries’ social system and cultural attitudes. The two countries can inspire each other and the world in creating better solutions to solve this new form of education inequality.

Keywords

Digital divide, Education inequality, Policies, U.S., China

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Global Politics and Socio-Humanities

Conference website: https://2024.icgpsh.org/

ISBN：978-1-83558-591-7(Print) / 978-1-83558-592-4(Online)

Conference date: 20 December 2024

Editor：Enrique Mallen

Series: Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media

Volume number: Vol.64

ISSN：2753-7048(Print) / 2753-7056(Online)

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